Matthew 12

Christian Standard Bible

Lord of the Sabbath

12 At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath.^(A) His disciples^(B) were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain. ² When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is not lawful^(C) to do on the Sabbath.”

³ He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry: ⁴ how he entered the house of God, and they ate^[a] the bread of the Presence—which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests?^{(D) 5} Or haven’t you read in the law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent?^{(E) 6} I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.^{(F) 7} If you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice,^[b](G) you would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”^(H)

The Man with the Shriveled Hand

⁹ Moving on from there, he entered their synagogue.^{(I) 10} There he saw a man who had a shriveled hand, and in order to accuse him they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” ^(J)

¹¹ He replied to them, “Who among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out?^{(K) 12} A person is worth far more than a sheep; ^(L) so it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath.”

¹³ Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored,^(M) as good as the other. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, how they might kill him.^(N)

The Servant of the Lord

¹⁵ Jesus was aware of this and withdrew. Large crowds^[c] followed him, and he healed them all.^{(O) 16} He warned them not to make him known,^{(P) 17} so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

A House Divided

²² Then a demon-possessed man^(S) who was blind and unable to speak was brought to him. He healed him, so that the man^[f] could both speak and see.^{(T) 23} All the crowds were astounded and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” ^(U)

²⁴ When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”^(V)

²⁵ Knowing their thoughts,^(W) he told them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. ²⁶ If Satan^(X) drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges.^{(Y) 28} If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.^{(Z) 29} How can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up^(AA) the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. ³⁰ Anyone who is not with me is against me,^(AB) and anyone who does not gather with me scatters. ³¹ Therefore,^(AC) I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy,^(AD) but the blasphemy against^[g] the Spirit will not be forgiven.^{[h] 32} Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man,^(AE) it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the one to come.^(AF)

A Tree and Its Fruit

³³ “Either make the tree good and its fruit will be good, or make the tree bad^[i] and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.^{(AG) 34} Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow^(AH) of the heart. ³⁵ A good person produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil.^{(AI) 36} I tell you that on the day of judgment^(AJ) people will have to account^(AK) for every careless^[j] word they speak.^{[k] 37} For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

³⁸ Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”^(AL)

³⁹ He answered them,^(AM) “An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.^{(AN) 40} For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish^[l](AO) three days and three nights,^(AP) so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it,^(AQ) because they repented at Jonah’s preaching; and look—something greater than Jonah is here.^{(AR) 42} The queen of the south^(AS) will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look—something greater than Solomon is here.

An Unclean Spirit’s Return

⁴³ “When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn’t find any.^{(AT) 44} Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ Returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that person’s last condition is worse than the first.^(AU) That’s how it will also be with this evil generation.”

True Relationships

⁴⁶ While he^(AV) was still speaking with the crowds, his mother and brothers were standing outside wanting to speak to him.^{(AW) 47} Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”^[m]

⁴⁸ He replied to the one who was speaking to him, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ Stretching out his hand toward his disciples,^(AX) he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”^(AY)